Together
by thehush
Summary: Rose and Ten return to present day earth to recooperate. A short alternate beginning of the episode The Christmas Invasion.


**"Together" by Erin**

It had been late when they arrived, the TARDIS sending them back the way she had asked the TARDIS to go. Rose hadn't let on how fast she remembered those moments on the satellite, but they were back, fresh as ever. It made the sleeping figure in her bedroom hard to watch, and yet, she understood why. A piece of her suddenly understood everything about him and she couldn't quite put her finger on the reason why. It was the ache of losing familiarity, the ache of having you're very being etched over with new information. She felt like circles and triangles – like an alien in her own skin.

A familiar hand lay awkwardly on her shoulder while the other gently gave her a mug of tea. "How long are you staying? For Christmas, I hope."

Rose couldn't pull herself away from the doorway to look away from the Doctor, so she simply smiled, hoping her mother was still good at seeing in the dark. "I can talk him into staying the week." She let her eyes drift so she could catch her mother's hopeful look. "Still confused?"

Jackie laughed softly, waving her hand a little towards the room. "I'll never understand that man-" Her smile surprised Rose, who was expecting the sad look she had gotten every time she arrived back that year. "But my mother said the same thing about your father, so who am I to judge."

With that her mother wandered back to her own bedroom, leaving Rose to finally step inside the empty space she had been avoiding all night. Her old room felt odd, nothing in it felt right anymore. Had she really changed so much since she left?

Suddenly Rose realized she was being watched and blushed softly, setting her untouched tea on her cluttered desk. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

She was expecting something cheeky. Even in his new voice she was expecting something disarming and innocent. That's what he did to her; made her stomach do flip-flops with excitement and her face hurt from smiling so much. He made her ache and even now she ached as she felt her Doctor watch her in the dark. "Rose…"

"…yeah?" The room felt too still, as if time itself was stopping just for him and her. Nearing the bed, she sat down opposite of him, where the moon would shine perfectly through the window and where the sun could not shine through. She had never had anyone in her room, none of her boyfriends, not even one of her friends from school. Was that why it felt so weird to have him here? It didn't feel like he was invading her old refuge, it felt more like he was supposed to be there – like he had always been there.

The Doctor, his new face looking up at her from the pillow he had tucked between his head and arm, reached out and slowly took her hand. A smile pulled at her lips as she watched his eyes shine mysteriously in the moonlight. It sounded so cliché to her, but they did – it made them familiar as well. It and the way his hand fit hers perfect were the only ways she could tell he was still her doctor. She had been so afraid that those would go with the regeneration. He kept reminding her though, that he was still there, just with 'different threads'.

"Stop thinking so much and come here." His hand pulled her a little, her body complying without so much as a jerk. She was still worn out from the ordeal on Satellite 5 and her meld with the TARDIS. Even though the Doctor had reassured her that she wasn't carrying it anymore, she could still feel it inside her head, its voice singing softly like a calming lullaby you would hum to a crying friend.

Rose blinked suddenly, realizing she hadn't been paying attention to anything else but her thoughts. She had unconsciously lain down, her hand still held loosely in his. He was still watching her, as if he could read the thousands of thoughts filling up her head. "Stop starin', s'not nice." She stifled a yawn, trying hard to look away from his eyes. It was no use though, she wanted to be there, stuck in them.

He smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "Can't help it. Still can't believe I'm alive."

The thought had crossed her mind so many times that night, but it still brought tears to her eyes. She was still looking for the right moment to thank him for saving her life, again. They've been doing that since they met. Taking turns pulling each other out of the fire and back into the frying pan.

She realized suddenly that it wasn't enough, holding his hand, watching him watch her. The Doctor had pulled her off the earth and he was the only person spinning in space with her. Rose couldn't hide the fear welling up behind her eyes before she pulled herself closer to him, her hands clutching at his old shirt, shaking as she let go of the day.

Leather and the beat of two hearts enveloped her as they cried themselves to sleep – together.


End file.
